24-Hr Bandh over Mosque Construction Affects Normal Life in Arunachal’s Lower Subansiri

Itanagar: Normal life came to a halt in Arunachal Pradesh’s Lower Subansiri district on Wednesday due to a 24-hour bandh call over the alleged construction of mosques.

The bandh began at 5 am, with almost all shops remaining closed, offices recording thin attendance, and vehicular movement largely off the roads, police said. The police said the shutdown was being observed peacefully.

As per reports, the bandh was jointly called by the Arunachal ST Bachao Andolan Committee, Bamin Michi Youth Association, Siiro Youth Association and the Arunachla Pradesh Indigenous Youth Organisation (APIYO).  

Lower Subansiri SP Keni Bagra said the shutdown is going peacefully, and no untoward incidents have been reported from the valley.

Protestors are demanding the demolition of two mosques currently under construction at Suluya in Old Ziro and at Pare Ami in Hapoli.

According to organisers, the bandh is considered as a last resort after repeated memorandum and representations to the authorities failed to produce any result. They also claimed that the administration had not taken any decisive action, prompting them to enforce a district-wide shutdown to draw attention to their demands.

Police claimed that there were no proper documents for the constructions and that the works were being carried out through deeds of agreement entered into with landowners.

Leaders of the protesting groups described the issue as highly sensitive, linking it to the rights, identity and constitutional safeguards of Arunachal Pradesh's indigenous tribal communities. They warned that if the state government failed to address their demands within a reasonable timeframe, the agitation could be intensified in the coming days.

However, amid the shutdown, class 5 and 8 students were allowed to appear the state pre-board examinations and class 10 pre-board examinations to write their tests.  

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